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CQC inspectors to shadow GP practices to gain 'hands-on' experience

Exclusive: CQC inspectors have begun shadowing practice managers to gain ‘hands-on’ experience of GP practices following concerns over their level of training, Pulse has learned.

The shadowing is part of training for new CQC inspectors and will also be offered as a ‘learning and development opportunity’ for all existing inspectors, the CQC has said.

A CQC spokesperson told Pulse that the ‘robust training regime’ for inspectors is being supplemented by four to eight-hour shadow visits that will offer both inspectors and practices a ‘hands-on opportunity for learning’.

The spokesperson added: ‘All professionals require an opportunity to further their professional development. An inspector of primary care services needs to keep abreast of improvements and innovations within general practice – what better way to achieve this than by spending time with the people who meet these challenges every day?’

Professor Steve Field, the CQC’s chief inspector of general practice, told Pulse that the shadowing scheme was at an early stage of development but was all about improving.

He said: ‘This is the start of a programme - we want to see how it goes, so we’re trying it out in a few areas. This is a pilot and we’re still learning - our philosophy is about improvement.

‘We want all of our inspectors to understand the context of what they’re expecting and that it’s difficult in general practice at the moment. As time goes on, they’ll see some outstanding practices and initiatives in general practice. This is all about improving our service.’

‘It is one of a number of initatives we’re trying out. We’re also meeting regularly with LMCs, and now we have our four regional medical advisors in post, their top priority is to meet with LMCs, local patients groups and college faculties.’

Not all LMCs are being invited onto the scheme but the CQC said that where shadowing has already occurred - for example, in Cambridgeshire - it has received positive feedback from both inspectors and practice staff. Inspectors are said to have found it useful to ‘update themselves on the issues currently faced by general practice’ and ‘to be able to take the time to observe the daily functioning of a practice and to discuss new innovations.’

Cambridgeshire LMC said it had been contacted again by the CQC to assist in finding ‘willing victims’ to be shadowed for a day so that inspectors can ‘gain experience and understanding of how it really is’.

In its August newsletter, the LMC said: ‘We are told that the inspectors found the opportunity really helpful, so much so that they are asking us to find more willing victims (practices) who feel that the would like to host a CQC inspector.

‘You will get the chance to have an off-the-record chat with the inspectors and ask any burning questions you may have.’

Dr Robert Morley, executive secretary of Birmingham LMC and GPC regulations lead, said he had also been approached to ask for volunteers and thought it was a ‘reasonable and sensible thing’ for the CQC to do.

He said: ‘This shows that the CQC recognises that they’ve got things wrong. They started using inspectors with no background in general practice, and some of them got it very badly wrong indeed.

‘I think the CQC have held their hands up and admitted that they went wrong. They do want to learn from the process. Anything that helps inspectors get some background knowledge of the realities of trying to run a busy general practice, with all the difficulties and problems the profession’s having at the moment, can only be a good thing.’

However he warned that it could cause extra workload for practices.

He added: ‘Workload is something to be taken into consideration: practice managers are incredibly busy at the moment. It’s an entirely voluntary thing and people should only volunteer if they have the capacity to do it.

‘The ones who have are doing it for altruistic reasons, because they feel it would be useful and help both the process and the practice’.

Readers' comments (9)

Anonymous
| Sessional/Locum GP26 Aug 2014 10:46am

In some ways this is sensible (at least the inspections might stop becoming such a farce) but on the other hand why has it become our job to train CQC inspectors? And how much will practices be paid for providing this service?

Quite a positive move after spate of threats and menacing talk by CQC. Hands on exposure to Practice functioning and shadowing the busy PMs may actually help these Inspectors in understanding what Practices are faced with. Should help them in their assessments based on real life general practice rather than on the basis of delusional templates.

We pay the CMC to screw usWhy not train the CQC to do the same.If it wasnt so serious it would be a real comedy.Well done prof Field- did you never think that training inspectors appropriately BEFORE they started .Maybe General practice can follow this model and let all 1st year med students out into GP land surgeries- that would certainly help the man power crisis. sure they could always sit in for 4-8 hours with a trained GP if there were any concerns about their performance.

Why are CQC allowed to run their service when it's qite obviously inadequate? If I was to perform as a GPwSI in cardiology but then decided I need to shadow a consultant in order to perform appropriately but only after serious incidents and retrospectively, I would be referred to GMC and struck off.

Different rules for CQC then. Prof Field must be very proud to be the chief.